Archives for November 2011

I have seen a 24 hour Facebook campaign work wonders for online fundraising. I should note that the goal is to raise awareness not necessarily get donations. We just had a fundraiser run one this week – not only did they double the amount they raised but they also generated hundreds of followers for any future campaigns. Here are some simple steps for you to follow.

Step #1

Set up a Facebook group or event. Do this about a week before your campaign. Do not do this at the last minute as you will want to give your friends plenty of notice of what is going on – also they will have time to spread the word.

Step #2

Invite all your friends to the Facebook group. Ask them to donate their “status” message for 24 hours. Here is an example: Your friend Tina is raising money for an adoption. You might want to write something like this in your message to your friends:

“Most of you know Terry and Jim Johnson. They have been in the process of adopting for 7 months and could use our help. We started a online fundraiser at YouCaring.com to raise money to help them. JANUARY 1, 2012 we are going to be holding a “Help Bring Timmy Home Day” on Facebook to raise money and spread the word. At 1pm on January 1 and going until 1 pm January 2 we are asking everyone to change their Facebook status to ‘Help bring Jimmy Home @ www.YouCaring.com/bringJimmyHome’. It is extremely important we have as many people as possible, so please invite your friends to the group to help – even if they don’t know Jimmy. To make this campaign really be effective, we need as many people as possible. Thank you, for helping bring Jimmy home!”

Step #3

Ask friends of yours to become administrators to the group so they can invite people. You really cannot have too many administrators, 10 would be great.

Step #4

Be sure to send out individual messages either through regular Facebook mail or their email account. A lot of people ignore event invitations.

Step #5

12-24 hours before the event starts, set YOUR FACEBOOK status to: “Help bring Jimmy Home @ www.YouCaring.com/bringJimmyHome”. This will help remind everyone about the event.

Step #6

Note: This is not a method you want to use when you first start online fundraising. Get some momentum first and some sizable donations. People tend to follow the crowd, if everyone else is giving they will follow suit. For other help in getting started or other ideas, check out this blog.

If you’d like help, just email us. If you have not set up an online fundraiser yet, check this out. We love to help motivated people with their online fundraising. [email protected]

P.S. As long as your over on Facebook, be sure to check out our page. We have incredible inspiring stories and ideas that will encourage you.

Online Fundraising using Facebook groups has been one of the most successful techniques of our top fundraisers. I am going to show you how they did it. It is simple, doesn’t take much time, yet can add a big ‘punch’ to your fundraising efforts.

Step #1

Find A Donor

Find a donor who is willing to give a larger amount ($100-$500 would be a great start). This donation will be used to get people motivated to sign up for the group. If you are having trouble finding 1 person you could always get 3-5 people who are willing to donate $50-$100 each.

Step #2

The goal is to get people to join the group. It is not to get people to donate. Here is how you do it.

When you create your Facebook group post a message that reads “For each person that joins this Facebook group a $1 will be donated. Let’s encourage John through his liver transplant!” or “For each person that JOINS this Facebook group a $1 will be donated to Danny for his mission trip to Mexico.” Ask your friends to spread the word to as many people as possible. Be sure to set a limit on the dollar amount and time. Don’t make the time frame too long, you want to create urgency.

Step #3

Get Donations

Your group should grow fairly quickly, sometimes we see these groups explode into 1000’s of people. Once you have a larger group, you can start asking the group as a whole for support. Some ideas for messages when you have a large group:

“Tara has a deadline for tuition in two weeks. Help us reach our goal by donating and spreading the word to your friends.”

“A generous donor is doing a dollar for dollar match over the next 24 hours to help Tara with her adoption visa payment. Help us reach our goal. The match has a $2000 ceiling.”

Creating a sense of urgency is huge. It gets people motivated. If you’d like help with setting a Facebook group up, check out this link. If you have questions or would like to talk to us please email [email protected] If you’d like to talk to someone, just email us your phone number and we will have one of our coaches call you within a couple hours (during business hours).

The adoption process is an exciting journey filled with important decisions. Among the first is deciding where you want to adopt from. If you have decided to look into international adoptions, then there are a few key aspects you need to consider.

What is the Hague Adoption Convention?

First, it is important to understand the laws surrounding the process for international adoptions. They vary depending on the country where the parents live and the country where the adoptive child is from. The Hague Adoption Convention oversees intercountry adoptions between the United States and about 90 other nations. It protects against unregulated international adoptions. The adoption process looks different for countries that are part of the Convention and those that are not. Check out the U.S. Department of State’s resource page on the different intercountry adoption laws.

Expenses for International Adoptions

Cost is a key consideration. The cost of international adoption can vary widely and can have a high price tag. Agency fees, home study costs, and application fees are just a few expenses you need to consider. Furthermore, your adoption agency should approximate the cost before you begin the process. Crowdfunding can help to pay your adoption expenses and take the strain off your budget. Many families turn to online fundraising to raise support for their adoption journey.

Wait Times

The adoption process requires patience. Generally, the wait can take waiting take from a few months to a year or longer, depending on your adoption location. Other factors include child availability, contact with birth parents, medical background, substance use, and national restrictions. For example, China and Russia can take a year or longer to complete an adoption. Also, keep in mind that you may be adopting a toddler versus a newborn or infant at the time you complete the process.

Crowdfunding for International Adoption

Following your heart may ultimately make you the happiest. So don’t let the expense prevent you from attaining your adoption dreams. Learn more about adoption fundraising before you kick start your own campaign. Change a life and start a free fundraiser today.

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